Improvement in car-couplings



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. exact description thereof, reference being had of this specification, in whichin Fig. 3, for the purpose of supporting it at rrrroMAs n. JAcKsoN,

on DALLAs, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,342, dated January 13, 1h74; application filed` September 23, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs R. JAcKsoN, of Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain Improvements in Railroad-Gar Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

to the accompanying drawings, making part Figure l is a section taken longitudinally and vertically through the centers of two drawheads with my couplings applied to them. Fig. 2is a top view of one of the draw-heads and couplings, a portion of the top thereof being removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of -one of the draw-heads and couplings. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views of the hooked coupling bars.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several-f1 gures.

The nature of my invention consists in a top plate of a drawhead made movable bodily up against springs, in combinationl with coupling-jaws arranged below it, all as hereinafter described.

The following description of my invention will enable others skilled in the art to under stand it.

In the accompanyin g drawin gs, A represents that portion of the drawhead which is rigidly secured in the usual posit-ion or in any convenient manner beneath the floors of the platform of the car in a horizontal plane, and A represents the top of the draw-head, which is vertically movable, and which is held down upon a horizontal transverse beam, F, by means of springs t, placed at the four corners of the said toppiece. The cross-beam F is raised above the lower part A of the draw-head, and secured down upon bridge-supports E E, and beneath this beam are two coupling jaws, B B, which are pivoted at c a. The springs t. surround vertical guide-rods N, and are inclosed in boxes g, as shown in the drawings. The springs t are confined down upon the top piece A of the drawhead by means of nuts on the rods N, and beneath this top piece tubes n are applied around the guide-rods N, as shown its corners when it is down upon the crossbeam F, as shown in Fig. l. The jaws B B extend forward and in rear of the crossbeam the top piece A', as shown in Fig. 1. 'Beneath the draw-headA the rod D is connectedto the rear ends of the coupling-jaws B B, by means of chains d d, so that by turning the rods D the chains will be wound upon it in opposite directions,l and the hooked ends of` the jaws B can be moved apart far enough to disen gage the arrow-head coupling-bar G from them.

In Fig. 2 I have shown by dotted lines a forked band connected to the extremities of the coupling-jaws7 and passed between two pulleys, and then carried to a windlass-shaft at the front of the draw-head. This is intended as a modification and substitute for the sha 't D and bands (l d.

The coupling-bar G will be straight for cars whose draw-heads are of the same height, but for cars with draw-heads at diierent heights the bar G will be curved, as shown in Fig. 6.

The bar Gr is constructed with arrowheads on its ends, which are perforated vertically at i 11 to receive the well-known coupling-pins when necessary to use such pills. Each head dpresents two shoulders, h h', two beveled sides,

and a iiattened and rounded point, h, so that when two cars are brought together the arrowheads will spread the couplingjaws apart until the shoulders 7L pass corresponding shoulders on said joints, when the latter will close and complete the coupling. S represents a buffer-spring, against which the coupling-bar will strike in making a coupling. y

Should any car in a train leave the track, the top piece A of the draw-head-of such car will be forced upward by the coupling-barG far enough to allow such bar to pass above the coupling -jaws B and escape therefrom; or should a car turn over a similar result will take place.

I am aware that hooked coupling-jaws and i" arrow-head coupling-bars have been used on ears before my invention, and I do Vnot broadly claim them.

I am aware of the rejected application of G. W. Smith for a oar-coupling dated April 30,

1856, and therefore do not Wish to be under-Y stood as claiming anything shown in his said application; but

Having deseri bed my invention, wh at I claim' asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The top A of the draw-l1ead, fitted loosely to rise at any point on vertical guides N N, and under springs t t on said guides, in combination with the pivoted spring` coupling-j aws B B below it, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

THOMAS RIVERS JACKSON.

Witnesses:

Il. L. RAY, .I. D. BERRY. 

